Alcohol Division To Add Agents

— The influx of alcohol permit applications in a newly wet Benton County will likely stretch area enforcement agents thin in the coming months, the state’s alcohol bureau director said Monday.

Michael Langley, head of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Division, said the division will bring in agents from neighboring areas to help inspect potential locations for retail alcohol sales in the county. He said he also expects to add more permanent staff in the county next year to help with enforcement.

At A Glance

Liquor Permit Applications Filed Nov. 26-30

E-Z Mart

Bentonville: 715 S.W. A St., 230 N. Walton Blvd., 1009 S.E. 14th St., 2401 S.E. 14th St.

Rogers: 104 E. New Hope Road, 723 N. 13th St., 525 N. Second St., 1749 W. Walnut St.

Other: 105 N. Bloomington St., Lowell; 137 S. Curtis Ave., Pea Ridge; 387 S. Main St., Cave Springs; 588 S. Arkansas 59, Decatur; 925 W. Tulsa St., Siloam Springs; 900 W. Main St., Gentry; 1635 E. Arkansas 264, Springdale

Kum & Go

Bentonville: 2710 Moberly Lane, 2811 E. Central Ave., 3610 S.W. Regional Airport Blvd.

Lowell: 104 S. Blooming St., 978 Pleasant Grove Road, 816 W. Monroe Ave.

Rogers: 1701 W. New Hope Road, 2400 W. Hudson Road

Casey’s General Store

Bella Vista: 1791 Forest Hills Blvd.

Bentonville: 900 S.W. 14th St., 100 S.E. J St., 2801 S.E. J St.

Rogers: 3075 W. Pleasant Grove Road

Source: Alcoholic Beverage Control Division

“It will certainly be needed,” Langley said.

The bureau is processing applications from three counties that were voted wet on Nov. 6 — Benton, Madison and Sharp counties. Langley said Benton County business have submitted the most applications.

“It’s more hectic,” he said. “It’s about 10 times the size of any county we’ve seen in recent years. The size of Benton County is daunting.”

The division processed 28 applications for retail beer and wine permits in the county last week. Businesses have until Dec. 18 to submit applications to be heard at the January board meeting. Permits will go out after the third week in January.

Convenience stores E-Z Mart, Kum & Go and Casey’s General Store applied for permits at their Benton County stores, according to the division’s weekly report for Nov. 26-30. The stores all requested retail beer off-premises and small farm winery (retail) permits.

Langley projects the bureau will work about 165 requests in the coming weeks for retail beer and wine. The work includes processing the application, then doing a site visit to make sure the location meets regulations. Agents also will talk to a few neighbors to get their view on nearby alcohol sales.

“We do the best we can to touch base with everyone,” Langley said. “Everybody’s going to know that it’s out there. There will be a whole lot of yellow signs in doorways.”

Permits submitted to the commission by Dec. 18 will have a 30-day waiting period before January’s board meeting. This time period allows residents and public officials to voice any objections to a particular application, Langley said. If no objection is voiced, the liquor permit is approved pro forma. If an objection is made, the application will go before the board for discussion.

Liquor stores face a more daunting permit process. Competition for the 55 liquor permits allowed in the county necessitates a lottery draw to determine whose application is heard first.

The bureau starting sending out applications to potential liquor store owners on Monday. Langley said he has received about 70 requests for the 55 permits so far. The first permits will likely be considered sometime in the summer, he said.

A&B Distributors of Arkansas applied for a wholesale beer permit for Benton and Madison counties. The Anheuser Busch distributor is based out of Muskogee, Okla., and is opening a branch in Arkansas to serve the two counties, according to Jason Moreau, vice president of sales for the company. His brother, Justin Moreau, is listed as the applicant for the Arkansas distributor.

The distributor plans to lease warehouse space at 416 W. Stribling Drive in Rogers, according to Jason Moreau.

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